Drowning the Demon S6 D12
Drowning the Demon The Story of Vladimir Tschikovsky's Rise to Stardom and Battle with Mental Illness Before Tschikovsky Entered the IIA When it comes to the Vladimir Tschikovsky, his story with the International Iceball Association begins even before he was drafted. He signed up to be a part of the inaugural IIA draft, but he was deemed too young to qualify for competition. Despite missing the cut that season, he continued to work on his craft. He showed incredible potential and his natural goal scoring ability caught the eye of several league scouts. However, this was not the only reason scouts began to follow Tschikovsky. Behind the Russian's generally calm demeanor, there lived a personal demon. One that had the ability to turn his mood on a dime. One moment he'd be quiet and calm and then in a moment he'd become upset, angry, or enraged. It caused him to snap at his friends, family, and teammates on multiple occasions. Friends would comment how they felt he was alienating them and began to see him less often. It got progressively worse during Tschikovsky's training seasons before he was drafted. By the time the draft rolled around, many people once his friends would not even travel with him to the draft. Only his immediate family and a handful of friends made the journey with him. This factor led scouts to his other concerning trait. Tschikovsky had a severe issue with alcohol. Despite anything Vladimir tried to silence the voice in his head, very little worked. The only thing Tschikovsky could find that muffled the voice was alcohol. Particularly, Russian vodka worked well. He could rarely be found without vodka unless he was in an Iceball rink. He refused to have any drink before a game or practice, but the moment it ended he'd speed back to the locker room to have a drink. It was this heavy drinking that established Vladimir's nickname of "Vodka". And whether he liked it or not, it was going to stick. Dealing with Teammates Despite the red flags in his personal life, the Soviet Sickles were confident in their hometown selection when they took Tschikovsky 2nd overall in the Season 2 Draft. A player from the region with the skill set Tschikovsky possessed was sure to be a major draw for the struggling franchise. He immediately provided on-ice relief for the team, developing good on-ice chemistry with team captain Jose del Reyes Garcia. However, the two were jaded off the ice. In a recent interview for this article, we sat down with Garcia to hear from his perspective what it was like those seasons they played together. When asked about Tschikovsky's off-ice habits, Garcia stated, "You could never find him without a bottle nearby. He needed it to keep his mind from screaming at him I guess. But he always was sober for the games, that's for sure. His mind tore him apart during the times right before the game, but I think that's partially why he was such a natural goal scorer. He was constantly on edge. He was wild and unpredictable and would try anything to get that ball to the back of the net." "But you could always tell he was in pain during the games, especially by the end of the games. Even if he hadn't been hit all game, he always had a grimace in the 3rd period. We were all worried something was seriously wrong but he never really let us help. He just kept to himself and to the bottles he brought with him everywhere he went." Season 3 Casanova Cup Finals What made matters worse for Tschikovsky was this inner demon struck harder and more ferociously when his nerves were high. So when the Potatopia Potato Farmers defeated the North London Invincibles to advance to the Casanova Cup Finals, the pressure was turned up to an all time high. They squared off against the Cunsansus City Ice Chickens in what was shaping up to be an incredible close finals from the predictions. The days leading up to Game 1 saw Vladimir pounding bottles of vodka faster than he ever had. His Game 1 performance showed that impact, as the Potato Farmers were dismantled 5-1. With some analysts calling it a done deal in favor of the Ice Chickens after Game 1, the pressure diminished a bit, and Tschikovsky rebounded with a 2 goal performance in a 5-3 win in Game 2. This forced a decisive Game 3. According to Tschikovsky, the demon in his head had never been louder than the night before Game 3. He was falling apart, unable to sleep and in severe agony as even vodka provided little relief. Teammate and backup goalie Markus Noelsson stayed with Vlad the entire night to make sure Vlad wasn't alone despite Tschikovsky insisting he didn't need help. "It was a rough night for him. I suppose for myself as well. It's not easy to stay and support someone at 4 in the morning when they've spend the past 4 and a half hours shouting at you that you don't need to be there, followed by watching him throw things across the room and vomiting up the vodka he had been using to try and silence his mind. But even through all that, we all cared for him. We wanted him to be alright more than anything else. I knew I wasn't in net that day, so I knew this was the best way I could help our team then, was to help Vlad." Unfortunately for Tschikovsky, Noelsson, and the rest of the team it wasn't enough. The Ice Chickens controlled the game from start to finish and won in dominating fashion 6-1. Tschikovsky was held off the scoresheet for the second time in the series. After the game, he broke down and acknowledged to all his teammates he had a problem. He asked them all for their help, and promised he'd try anything and everything to control his demon. He did not want to alienate them like he had to so many others. His teammates echoed their support for him and their willingness to help in any way possible. Relocating to China/Meeting the Healer During the offseason after Season 3, the team was relocated to China. Upon their arrival to their new home, the team took a tour of local towns and villages to become more aware of their surroundings and establish goodwill with their new fanbase. The new team came to the area with a lot of hype being the Casanova Cup runner-up. With this came a lot of rumors as well. Speculation of Tschikovsky's mental illness spread throughout the fanbase. This news eventually reached the home of a local village healer. She had an idea of how to help Vladimir, and reached out to the team saying she could help. The organization was skeptical at first, but Tschikovsky insisted on meeting the healer. He said, "I promised the guys I would try anything and everything, and this is no different." When he arrived, the healer sat him down in her small home and handed Tschikovsky a small bowl. In the bowl were noodles with a variety of herbs and spices he had never seen before. Vlad had low expectations, but thanked the healer and ate the meal. Once he was done, he thanked the healer and left feeling no different. Several hours later back at his home, Tschikovsky went to begin his nightly routine of drinking. But when he poured the vodka, he noticed something. Everything was quiet. Nothing seemed to make a sound except the vodka filling the glass. This profound silence startled Vlad. He had not experienced anything like it in a long time. It was only then did he realize why it was so quiet. The voice in his head wasn't saying anything. The demon was gone, at least for the night. When he woke up the following morning, it had returned but much quieter than it had been on previous mornings. He began visiting the healer daily for lunch, and she'd always happy to serve him. This new arrangement severely limited the amount of vodka Vladimir needed to consume and helped him stay calm and focused for longer periods of time. He began joining his teammates for social outings and was welcomed with open arms. He began reaching out to family members and friends he hadn't talked to in years to tell them he was sorry for what happened and wanted to make things right. With this new clarity, Tschikovsky was able to control the edge he had on the rink, and became a lethal goal scorer. He netted 34 goals in 27 games in season 4, leading the IIA and winning League MVP. Current Message Today Despite the several trades he's been a part of since that MVP run in Season 4, Vlad's doing alright. His friend the healer sends him meals all the time so he has some to have no matter what team he's playing for or wherever in the world he may be. His diet is regimented to include this meal at least once a day. He finished 2nd in league goal scoring, putting home 39 with the Chinese Benevolent Dictatorship and Anarchic Bomb Throwers. He's built a new reputation as a locker room leader, and one who's candid with everyone he meets. Especially when it comes to the topic of mental health. When we reached out to him for this article, he asked this statement be added towards the end: "I want everyone to know mental illness can any one of us, even elite Iceball players. It doesn't matter your background, wealth, or upbringing. It does not discriminate. All we can do is our best to handle it and manage. But what I've learned is that you don't need to handle it alone. Reach out to your family, friends, and teammates for support. It may not be a physical aliment, but it's there and it's real. We all know someone, whether we realize it or not who suffers from a mental illness. Reach out to people, make sure they're doing okay. And if they aren't, make sure you're there for them. You never know when someone could use your support." Tschikovsky admits he wishes he reached out sooner, but was always worried over how people would react if he admitted his problem. Now, he's gained the experience and wisdom to know what's right, regardless of the public reaction. He knows people out there need to hear this and wants them to know he is there for them. He also admits it isn't perfect. He still has days where he struggles or fights the demon in his head. But he's having those days less now, and their not as disruptive. Signs of progress. Vlad said he hopes he wins the Casanova Cup this season, with it being his final season. Not just to say he's a Casanova Cup Champion, but so he can complete what his inner demon prevented him from doing 3 seasons ago. A future Hall of Famer, even without a cup win, it would cement his legacy was one of the all time greats. And once he retires, he hopes to help former and current players who may deal with similar issues as he has. By Tschikovsky's request to end the article this way, he wants to leave everyone with one last thought: "REMEMBER, YOU ARE NOT ALONE"